Shikamaru's Dilemma
by iash111
Summary: Ino, Shikamaru and Choji have just returned from a mission. Ino notices that Shikamaru isn't acting like his usual self so she makes it her job to cheer him up! :P Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of these characters! Enjoy and please let me know what you think! I'm not sure if I want this to be a one shot or if I want to continue it, please let me know :) InoShika.
1. Chapter 1

"Bye Choji! Make sure you hurry up and get better 'kay?" I said flashing him a bright smile. I closed the door to his hospital room gently and let out a frustrated sigh. _As usual Choji went and overdid it, now look at him, even I couldn't heal him. And yet he still has that same brave smile plastered on his face. _I turned and began walking down the narrow corridor to the hospital exit. _I'm beat, that mission was intense! I wonder where Shikamaru is. _ I thought as I wandered past the front desk and out the wide glass doors. I sighed and ran a hand through my long blond fringe; my eyes scanned the sidewalk as I continued to strut down the street. I rounded a corner and came face to face with Kiba Inuzuka. "Ugh! Watch it Kiba! You startled me!" I exclaimed. "Oh hey! Sorry about that Ino didn't see ya there!" Kiba laughed as he shot me a goofy side grin. "Hm. Don't worry about it; guess I'm just a little on edge after my mission." I confessed. "Hey no problem, I get like that sometimes too." He said in a sympathetic tone. "Oh, by the way Ino, I just saw Shikamaru. Is he okay? He looked a little down." Kiba said with a frown. "Really? I haven't seen him since we got back from the mission… I'll go and check on him now. Thanks Kiba!" I replied with a cheeky grin and a wink before heading off down the path without waiting for a response. I found Shikamaru slouching on a nearby bench with his head resting in his arms, staring up at the clouds in the beautiful blue sky. He had a frown on his face and was obviously deep in thought. "Hey Shika, how's it going?" I asked cheerfully before sliding onto the bench next to him. "Hm? Yeah, I'm alright" He replied in his deep level voice. _Not unlike Shikamaru, but I've been his teammate long enough to know that something's up. _ "I thought you would be at home resting Shikamaru! This is out of character; the Shikamaru I know would be snuggled up in his bed sleeping." I teased. He closed his eyes slowly as if trying to shut out the world around him and he let out a long sigh. "You're right… Have you been to see Choji?" He asked curiously. "Huh? Yeah, he should be fine! You on the other hand, I'm not so sure about, are you okay?" I asked abruptly as I leaned in closer to him and placed a hand on his knee. "Uhh, yeah, I'm fine, really… I guess I'm just worried about Choji." He mumbled unconvincingly. "Hmm, well I know what'll cheer you up! How's about a game of shoji? Bet cha a bowl of Ramen that I can kick your ass!" I challenged smugly as I leapt to my feet. Shikamaru let out a slight laugh and gently rose to his feet, "Alright, you're on!"

"Checkmate. I win! Seriously Shika? There's no way I could beat you in a game of shoji. Really Shikamaru, I'm worried about you. Tell me, what's wrong?" I said, concern laced in my voice. He turned his head away from me and stared at the peaceful clouds once again. He let out a frustrated sigh, "You girls are such a drag, always nagging at me…" He groaned half-heartedly. I could see his eyes saddening and I reached out and put my hand over his. _I feel like I can't really be myself around anyone else besides Shikamaru… If other people were around he would totally be on his own! _"It's okay Shika." His dark eyes wandered down to our hands and he gave a weak scowl. "Ugh, fine. I suppose you could say that I'm disappointed in myself, Choji got badly injured on this mission and I couldn't help him. What if something like that happens to you? I couldn't live with myself, Asuma told me to look after you two." He admitted slowly and sadly. _Wow, would he have confessed that to anyone else? _My turquoise eyes locked with his ebony ones, he still wore that blank expression, like he didn't have a care in the world. I don't really think that this is about Asuma at all… "Hey, what are you talking about? You know that I can take care of myself and we both know that Choji doesn't need protection! We're a team Shikamaru! You don't need to worry about us all of the time; we're here to protect you too!" I said enthusiastically. Shikamaru's cheeks turned a pale shade of pink and he flung his hand behind his head and rubbed his neck. I jumped to my feet and walked around the shoji table, I leant down and gently placed my hand on Shika's cheek, I guided his face closer to mine and closed my crystal blue eyes. I drew nearer to his face and placed my lips against his warm skin, I could feel his tense at the sudden embrace and I pulled away. His hand shot up to the place where my lips met his cheek and his face turned a deeper shade of red. I removed my hand from his face and slowly rose to my feet; he glanced up and met my gaze. Shikamaru's hand fell to his lap as he regained his composure. I flashed him a bright smile and ruffled his hair with my hand, "Now cheer up, okay? We're gonna be on a lot more missions together so you better get used to us getting hurt! I'll see ya tomorrow Shika! I believe you owe me a bowl of Ramen!" I exclaimed playfully as I twirled on my heel and began bounding out of the house, my blond hair flowing behind me. I was stopped by the sound of Shikamaru's husky voice:

"Hay, Ino… Thanks"


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, so this is chapter 2. Sorry that it took so long to upload/write,I've been really busy with exams but please feel free to review and let me know what you think or any helpful suggestions that you may have. Next chapter will be on VERY soon. Promise :) Oh, also, I forgot to mention in the last chapter - if it wasn't obvious - this story is in Ino's POV. **

"Ino! Wake up! I need your help this morning at the shop!" I heard my mother's voice yelling at me from downstairs, I groaned and slid out of my warm, comfortable bed. I slowly made my way across the room and pushed the bathroom door open. "Great… I totally forgot about that" I said quietly to myself as I brushed my long blond hair and pulled it back into its usual high ponytail. I filled the sink up with warm water and began washing my face; the feel of hot water running down my smooth skin was relaxing and refreshing. I let out a long sigh as I exited the bathroom and rummaged around my wardrobe to find my familiar purple sleeveless blouse and skirt. Once I was dressed I bounded down the stairs and met my mother at the bottom, "Hurry up and have some breakfast, I'll meet you at the shop" My mum said impatiently before turning around and heading for the front door. "Actually mum, I was just going to skip breakfast this morning…" I uttered, frowning at the food she had left for me on the dining table. "Ino, you need to eat something," She groaned, freezing a meter away from the door. "Mum, I'm fine. Really, don't worry about it," I replied defensively as I strode past her and pushed the door open. We walked to our family's flower shop in silence; I stared into the shops that we passed, wishing that I could go shopping instead of standing behind a counter all morning. We arrived within minutes, my mother unlocked the door and we stepped into 'Yamanaka Flowers,' the beautiful aroma hit me as soon as I walked in and I inhaled deeply. I took my place behind the counter; usually my father, Inoichi, would be running the store but he left yesterday to go on a mission. _I wonder how he's getting on..._

Hours dragged on, the shop wasn't too busy this morning, my mind kept wondering off to my exchange with Shikamaru yesterday... "_What if something like that happens to you? I couldn't live with myself." That's what he had said… Did he mean that if I died he would blame himself or am I just overthinking things…? _My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the shops bell ringing; I recognized the blond spiky hair, blue eyes and goofy grin immediately, "Hey Naruto!" I exclaimed as he shut the door gently behind him, Naruto strode up to the counter and placed both of his hands down on the smooth wooden surface, "Hey Ino. Listen, I don't really know much about buying flowers and stuff, it's kinda girly, so could you just pick some for me?" Naruto blurted out. I sighed and rested my head in my hands, "Gosh Naruto, you're such an idiot. Who are they for? What's the occasion?" I asked quizzically. "Hmm, well there for Hinata, she just got back from a mission. She's in the hospital right now." Naruto replied in a solemn tone. "Oh, I see. Is she okay? Is it serious?" I asked curiously. "Nah, she should be just fine!" Naruto cheered enthusiastically. "Hmm… Okay, then I suggest some purple lillies," I chirped happily. Naruto smiled at me and nodded his head in agreement; I rose to my feet and made my way over to the Lillies, I picked up six and wrapped them up in some gift wrap. I handed the flowers to Naruto and he took them gratefully, he pulled out a green frog coin purse and pulled out the money he owed me for the flowers. "Thanks Ino! I really appreciate it!" He exclaimed, "See ya later!" I let out a slight laugh, _that Naruto… He's strange alright!_ I thought. I drew my attention back to the book I was reading before Naruto came in. _I've been working for nearly three hours. _I sighed and turned to the next page in my book; after about five minutes of silence I heard the doorbell nagging at me again, I sighed and glanced up.

"Hey, you still want that bowl of Ramen?"

"Shikamaru! Hey, you remembered. Hold on a second," I replied before running out of the room and going to the back of the shop where my mum was pruning some roses. "Hey mum, can I please go out to lunch with Shikamaru?" I asked nonchalantly. "Hmm? Okay, I suppose so; just don't be too long okay? I still need your help this afternoon," She replied flatly. "Thanks mum!" I yelled as I turned on my heel and made my way back to the front of the shop. "Okay then Shika, let's go!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Please let me know what you think :) Ino's POV**

I watched as Ichiraku gently placed our bowls of ramen in front of us, "Enjoy you two!" He cheered happily before disappearing into the kitchen at the back of the restaurant. I picked up the wooden chopsticks and broke them in half with a loud SNAP! I gathered a small amount of noodles in them and raised them to my mouth. I blew on them slowly; they were poised an inch away from my lips. I paused and turned my head slightly, Shikamaru was staring at me expectantly. A frown etched its way onto my face, "Why are you looking at me like that Shika?" I asked accusingly. Shikamaru shrugged and mimicked my actions, grabbing his chopsticks and splitting them in half. We sat in silence for a while enjoying our ramen and each other's company, I was grateful for the distraction from work but also pleasantly surprised that Shikamaru actually came to 'Yamanaka Flowers' to get me and take me out for lunch. "Hey, I was thinking. After this, do you want to go and visit Choji in hospital?" Shika asked abruptly. "Huh? Yeah sure," I replied, slightly taken aback. I smiled at him before opening my mouth and delicately taking a bite of my ramen. Shikamaru turned his attention to his bowl of ramen and began eating. We stayed like that for a while, quietly eating our lunch, before Shikamaru broke the silence, "What are you doing tomorrow?" he asked, sounding disinterested. I directed my focus away from my ramen and turned to face him, a cheeky smile was plastered on my face, "Why Shika? You gonna ask me for a re-match? Or maybe you're gonna ask me on a date?" I replied jokingly. A slight look of shock crossed Shikamaru's features as his cheeks turned a pale shade of red, "No… Geez, I was just making convocation Ino. Women, they're such a drag…" Shikamaru mumbled to himself. "I'm just teasing Shika, lighten up! I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow… If I'm not working then probably training or maybe I'll go shopping with Billboard-Brow," I replied, seriously this time. The blush faded from Shika's face and he slurped up the last of his ramen, I made a disgusted face at him and a chuckle escaped his mouth. I shook my head and ate the remainder of my lunch also. At that moment Ichiraku re-entered the room with a smile spread across his face, "How was the meal?" He questioned enthusiastically. "Great. Thanks again," Shikamaru responded before placing the money he owed him for the ramen on the counter and climbing out of his chair. He shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced at me over his shoulder, "You coming Ino?" He asked. I smiled at him and jumped to my feet before walking to his side and entwining my arm with his. He hesitated briefly before shrugging it off and leading us in the direction of the hospital. "Thanks for lunch by the way Shika!" I said genuinely. "No problem, I owed you didn't I?" He said nonchalantly. We arrived at the hospital within a few minutes and were headed towards the entrance when I saw Naruto bounding out the doors. He came to a stop in front of Shikamaru and I; he glared at our linked arms and a mischievous grin slowly made its way onto his face. He stood, staring at us intently, and began waggling his eyebrows playfully at Shikamaru. We stood in confusion, wondering what stupid thoughts were going through Naruto's head. "What?" Shikamaru groaned in annoyance, Naruto simply started giggling quietly to himself, "Are you two dating?" He accused in a sly tone. "What?!" Shikamaru and I yelled in unison as I leaped away from Shika in embarrassment, I felt my face turn red and I looked over at Shikamaru to see his reaction. He was standing just like he was before, hands in his pockets, frown on his face, "No Naruto. Stop being such an idiot, Ino and I are just friends." He stated defensively. Though I could hear a hint of something else in his voice… Denial? Sadness? Disappointment? _Maybe I'm just imagining it._ I regained my composure and brushed my hair out of my face, "How's Hinata?" I asked, trying to change the subject. "Huh? Oh, she's good! She loved the flowers you picked! Well, at least I think she did, she fainted when I gave them to her…" He admitted. "Where are you guys going anyway?" He asked. "To visit Choji," Shikamaru answered, "Actually, Naruto, we better get going," He added, obviously trying to get rid of him. "Okay then! See you two love-birds later!" He yelled loudly before running off down the path. Shika sighed and instinctively rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. "That Naruto…" He moaned to himself. "Let's go Ino" He said bluntly and I followed him into the hospital. We arrived at Choji's room and stepped in carefully, he was sitting up in his hospital bed, stuffing his face with barbeque. "Choji! Who brought you that?!" I exclaimed, "That is so unhealthy, how is that helping your recovery?"

"Leave him alone Ino. The last thing he needs right now is us nagging him. Hey Choji," Shika said kindly, planting himself on the chair next to Choji's bed. "Hey Shikamaru!" Choji replied his mouth filled with food. I scowled but sat down on the end of Choji's bed. "How are you feeling?" I asked, trying to ignore the sound of Choji chewing his food. "Yeah, good. I should be allowed out of here tomorrow. What have you two been up to these past few days?" Choji asked joyfully. Shikamaru and I exchanged a look as my mind replayed the kiss on the cheek that I gave Shikamaru yesterday. "Not much," Shikamaru replied convincingly. "You guys will never guess who came to visit me yesterday…" Choji said, throwing himself into a tale of his visitor from the day before, we were all laughing hysterically by the time he finished his story and I was just about to ask them if they recalled the time when we all went searching for the Fourth Hokage's Legacywhen an ANBU black op burst through the door, our laughter ceased abruptly as our attention turned towards him. "Sorry to interrupt, but I've come to tell Shikamaru Nara that lady Hokage has asked that you go to her office immediately. You are being sent out on an urgent mission." He reported in a flat tone. _An… urgent mission?_


	4. Chapter 4

**So, here's chapter 4. Please let me know what you think :) Sorry it took me a while to update . But yeah, enjoy!**

"Are you serious? No way! That's not happening Lady Tsunade!" I demanded, slamming my hands down on her desk. "Stop being temperamental Ino, Shikamaru is going on this mission and that's final. He's extremely intelligent and has experience dealing with this type of mission." Lady Hokage countered calmly, attempting to be reasonable; I placed my hands on my hips and levelled my voice, "Then I'm going too, this mission is dangerous. Shikamaru would do better with his own team members by his side." I responded sternly. "No Ino, I think you should stay here with Choji for now. And Shikamaru will be with Kakashi, Naruto and Neji, he's been out on missions with all of them before and knows their skills, they'll be fine, he's in good hands." Tsunade shot back, her voice was laced with both sympathy and irritation. I sighed, trying to calm myself… _I won't let Shikamaru go on this mission alone, what if something happens to him? _I ran my fingers through my long blond hair and stared intently into Lady Hokage's auburn eyes, "But Lady Hokage, I coul-"

"That's enough Ino! You are not permitted to go on this mission!" Lady Tsunade yelled, cutting me off, she let out a long breath and lay back in her chair, rubbing her forehead. "I'm sorry Ino but Lady Hokage has some business that she has to attend to now, if you don't mind, could you come back some other time?" Shizune said, stepping forward and placing her hand on my arm, I whipped my arm away from her and stormed out the door. _Why am I getting so worked up about this? I don't understand… Shikamaru is leaving to go on his mission in about an hour. Maybe I'm over reacting…? No! I will not let Shikamaru fight the Akatsuki! Not after what happened last time! _

"Oh, Ino. How are you?" Shikaku said after opening the door, I smiled at him weakly, "I'm good thanks, how are you?" I replied politely. "I've been better; I presume you're here to Shikamaru? He's out the back," He stated without waiting for me to respond, Shikaku walked back inside and I followed close behind him, "Thank-You," I said gratefully before disappearing down the hallway and outside to where Shikamaru was lying on the grass, staring up at the sky. _How can he be so relaxed? _I stood there looking at him for a moment, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest as he scanned the stratosphere. A small smile appeared on my face. _Hm, typical Shikamaru…. He'll be fine, he will. I need to have more faith in him. But… After what happened to Asuma. _"Ino, what are you doing?" Shikamaru's deep voice called from the bottom of the lawn. I walked over to him and gazed down at his nonchalant demeanour. "You're going after the Akatsuki?" I said, it sounded more like an accusation than a real question. Shikamaru let out a deep sigh and rose to his feet; he was wearing his chunin uniform as usual. "Yeah, it's a drag but someone's got to do it I guess," He replied, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I just went to see Lady Hokage. I told her that I wouldn't let you go without me…" I said, unable to fight the blush that crept its way onto my cheeks. Shikamaru gave a slight smirk, enjoying my embarrassment. "Why would you do that Ino?" Shikamaru teased. I flung my fist out and punched him square in the chest, "Why do you think?!" I yelled defensively, Shikamaru stumbled briefly, he was expecting that… _Of course he was. _The smirk left his face and was replaced by a look of sadness. "I wouldn't let you go anyway Ino. Don't worry about it, I'll be okay." Shikamaru said unconvincingly as he brushed past me and began making his way back to his house. I whipped around and my hand shot out to grab his wrist; he paused and we stood like that for a minute. "Shikamaru, don't go. I care about you and I'm scared. The Akatsuki… They killed Asuma. What if…" My voice wavered and my eyes began stinging as the memory of Asuma's death replayed in my mind. A tear spilled over my eyelid and made its way down my cheek. Shikamaru turned around slowly to face me. He wiped the tear away and used his hand to guide my face up to look at him. I was still clinging to his wrist; I stared into his dark eyes which were now filled with sorrow. It hurt me to see him like this, was he thinking the same about me? "I avenged him didn't I? I killed Hidan, the member of the Akatsuki that murdered Asuma, have some faith in me Ino," Shikamaru said attempting to put my mind at rest. "Yeah, and you could barely walk afterward remember?" I countered.

"You're exaggerating as usual Ino." He responded. _Am I exaggerating? Why am I making such a big deal about this? I care about Shikamaru, he's my teammate… But, is it more than that? _I released his wrist, expecting him to walk away, but he didn't. His hand was still under my chin. Holding my head up, helping me to stay strong, to not fall apart._ As usual, Shikamaru is supporting me, protecting me. _I flung my arms around Shikamaru's torso and held onto him, my tears kept falling down my cheeks and were now landing on his chunin vest. I felt Shikamaru's arms wrap around me and we stood there in each other's embrace. "Okay Shikamaru, I trust you. But you better give Naruto a hard time and get back here really soon 'Kay?" I said trying to sound encouraging and regain my composure. I heard him let out a small chuckle, "Women, why are they always so bossy?" He joked. I pulled away from him and wiped my face with my hands before smiling up at him. Shikamaru took hold of my wrists and bent down so that his eyes were level with mine. He closed his brown eyes and leaned into me, his lips meet mine and my eyes widened in shock, _Shika…? _His lips were warm and inviting, they pressed against mine gently and I closed my eyes and kissed him back. He let go of my wrists and pulled away, I could feel my cheeks growing hot and I opened my mouth to question him when Shikaku appeared at the back door, "Shikamaru, Kakashi's here," He announced calmly. I closed my mouth and smiled at Shikamaru, "Good Luck Shika! I'll see you when you get back!" I exclaimed happily, trying not to think about what just happened. "Yeah, later Ino," Shikamaru replied nonchalantly before making his way to where his father stood, Shikaku began walking inside and Shikamaru paused at the door, he turned back to me and gave me a wink. He disappeared inside and left me standing there in confusion. _He'll be fine… He will._


	5. Chapter 5

**So, here is Chapter 5, I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think. I am sorry that it took me so long to write... But yeah hopefully chapter 6 will be up soon :) Enjoy!**

I stood waiting outside the hospital, my hands rested on my hips and my expression was bored. _How long is she planning on making me wait? _I thought. I flicked my hair out of my face and found myself gazing up at the sky, watching the clouds slowly roll by; _they're so peaceful, so free. _Shikamaru left for his mission yesterday and I've been attempting to find things that will take my mind off of it. _I wonder how he's-_

"Hey! Ino-Pig!" Sakura called from behind me, I twirled around and saw her running down the path from the hospital. "There you are Billboard-Brow! Why'd you keep me waiting like that, I was getting bored, you're lucky I didn't ditch you!" I teased. "This was your idea in the first place Ino. Let's get going already, I'm getting sick of this place." Sakura stated blatantly before heading down the street towards Konoha Hot Springs where we had planned to spend our afternoon. We walked side-by-side, Sakura was ranting about something that Sai had said to her last week on a mission, it was actually kind of nice to get to spend some time with my friends for once, away from both of our teammates. It didn't take us long to reach our destination and soon we were engulfed in the soothing warm water of the hot spring. I sighed deeply and sunk lower into the water; closing my eyes I tilted my head to the sky. "Hey, Ino-Pig, are you alright? It's just; you seem a little down…" Sakura said, concern in her voice, my eyes shot open and I sat up straight. "Hm? No, I'm fine," I said unconvincingly. Sakura glared at me doubtfully, she could see right through me, I sighed, "Alright, I'm worried about Shikamaru. How are you so calm Sakura? Naruto's out there too," I asked, genuinely interested in her answer. "Of course I'm worried about Naruto, but I've been down this road a lot more often than you have. Naruto's been out on missions concerning the Akatsuki without me before, I just have to have faith in him, and I know he'll be fine, Naruto is strong and Lady Tsunade wouldn't have sent him out on this mission if she didn't think he could handle it." Sakura said confidently, I blushed, slightly embarrassed of myself, Sakura is right. I smiled at her and relaxed a little. _She's totally right, Shikamaru knows what he's doing. _"What's up with you two anyway?" Sakura asked abruptly. "Umm… Wh- what do you mean?" I stuttered awkwardly, Sakura shot me a sly look, "C'mon Ino, give me the details on you and Shikamaru. You've both been acting weird lately," Sakura shot back immediately; I blushed as I recalled my encounter with Shikamaru yesterday:

_"Women, why are they always so bossy?" He joked. I pulled away from him and wiped my face with my hands before smiling up at him. Shikamaru took hold of my wrists and bent down so that his eyes were level with mine. He closed his brown eyes and leaned into me, his lips met mine and my eyes widened in shock, Shika…? His lips were warm and inviting, they pressed against mine gently and I closed my eyes and kissed him back._

I fought to regain my composure, "Gosh billboard-Brow, you sound just like Naruto, and nothing's going on between me and Shikamaru. As if! We're teammates, nothing more, aren't I allowed to be worried about him?" I blurted out. "Calm down Ino-Pig. No need to get all defensive," Sakura retorted mockingly, a wide smile spread across her face. I groaned and lowered myself further into the hot spring.

Sakura and I sat in silence, enjoying the calm water, for several minutes before Sakura slowly rose to her feet and climbed out of the hot spring; wrapping a towel around her as she did so. "It's getting pretty late Ino, I better get going. We should do this again some time, it was fun, Bye!" Sakura said happily before disappearing into the changing rooms. I stayed back a while longer, letting the water massage my body. _I guess I should go home and get some rest too…_

"Have a nice day sir!" I said cheerfully as the old man stumbled out of 'Yamanaka Flowers' the next day, holding a bunch of white roses. "Mum, that's six hours! I'm leaving now!" I yelled loudly to my mother who was out the back pruning some hydrangeas, "Okay, I expect dinner to be on the table when I get back," My mother insisted as I flung open the shops door and collided with Choji, I stumbled backwards and nearly fell over before he grabbed onto my wrist and pulled me upright. "Choji! What the heck are you doing?" I demanded angrily. "Sorry Ino, I didn't mean to startle you, I came to ask if you wanted to go for a walk." He mumbled apologetically I sighed and mentally slapped myself for being so rude, "I'm sorry Choji, I have to go back home and cook dinner," I responded, running my fingers through my long blond fringe. "Okay, I just thought that we could go and see the Hokage and ask her if there was any news involving Shikamaru and the others," Choji explained sadly, as he rubbed his belly. "Well… I suppose I might have time to just have a quick chat to Lady Tsunade…" I concluded anxiously looking back into the shop. "Great! Let's go then!" Choji cheered, grabbing onto my arm and bounding towards the Hokage's Office. We arrived outside of her office in a matter of minutes. I could hear yelling from inside as I pushed open the door to the Lady Tsunade's work place. Choji and I stumbled in and Shizune and Lady Hokage seemed flustered, like they had been arguing over something. "Lady Tsunade… Is this a bad time?" I asked hesitantly, her face was filled with worry and she lowered herself into her chair as she took a large swig of sake. "Ino… Choji…" Tsunade said slowly, her voice laced with sadness. _Oh no, something's happened. Shikamaru? _


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey :) I'm really sorry that this took me sooooo long to upload :/ I just couldn't get it to work and it was really frustrating but hopefully I did alright. Also, I know that it's pretty short and I apologize for that but hopefully I will post the next chapter soon :) As always I hope you enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you think because I looove feedback :P**

My heart sunk in my chest and I could feel my eyes stinging, _Shikamaru… _I strode forward and slammed my hands down on Tsunade's desk, "What happened?! Where's Shikamaru?!" I demanded my voice stone cold. Lady Tsunade's face was grim and she wouldn't look me in the eye, "WHERE IS HE?!" I screamed feeling tears roll down my cheeks. I could feel Choji's arms wrapping around me and clinging to me tightly, "Calm down Ino, let her explain," Choji uttered in my ear trying to stay calm even though I could hear the pain in his voice. The Hokage turned her face away from mine and looked to Shizune. "Lady Tsunade, let me tell them, they'll find out eventually," Shizune pleaded quietly, Tsunade nodded and relaxed into her chair. "Shikamaru is fine, as far as we know," Shizune stated and it felt as though a weight was lifted off of my shoulders, my body relaxed slightly as I closed my eyes and let out a sigh of relief. "Kakashi, Neji, Naruto and Shikamaru engaged the enemy, the Akatsuki member Kisame, this morning. Kakashi managed to send Pakkun to inform us of the situation. Neji is seriously injured, he is close to death. The others are still fighting Kisame but things aren't looking good for them," Shizune reported, "We are sending out a back-up team immediately, we were arguing over whom to send…" She added, with her frustration directed at Tsunade. _He's okay… Shika's okay, _I thought. "I'm going. Send me out on the back-up squad, you're not stopping me this time Lady Hokage," I commanded. "That goes for me as well, I'm going too," Choji contributed confidently. "No Choji, you can't go. The injuries that you attained on your last mission are still healing. However, Ino; you WILL be sent on this mission, I was wrong to have kept you here last time." Lady Tsunade confirmed, I relaxed and wiped the tears from my face as Choji released his grasp on me. "My choices of who to send are rather limited, with Choji and Hinata injured and Tenten, Lee and Guy all out on a mission, that doesn't leave me with many options. It's obvious that we need to send at least one skilled medical ninja out, but we could do with more. This is what I suggest: Ino, Sakura, Sai and Yamato." Tsunade proposed, shooting a glare at Shizune. "I really think that Shino and Kiba would be more suited to a mission like this," She argued defiantly. "I want a full team to be sent out on this mission and Kurenai is unavailable, she's pregnant, my word is final Shizune! Now send a messenger to Sai, Sakura and Yamato immediately!" Tsunade barked. Shizune obeyed; shuffling out of the room with her head facing the floor. I turned around to face Choji who was forcing back tears, "Hey, don't worry about it Choji! I promise you… Shikamaru and I will be back really soon! And when we do get back, we can all go out for some barbeque, how does that sound?" I said, attempting to put on a brave face for the both of us. Choji stood there blubbering for a minute before wiping his eyes, flashing me a weak smile and engulfing me in a hug, "Sounds good to me Ino!" He agreed bravely before letting me go and heading towards the door, "Good luck Ino, see you soon!" He cheered as he walked out the door and down the hallway. Not long after that Shizune came bursting back in the room followed my Sai, Sakura and Yamato. "Good, you're all here. I assume Shizune has already briefed you?" Lady Tsunade questioned, Shizune nodded in response and Lady Hokage continued, "Pakkun here will take you to the others, when you arrive, either Sakura or Ino has to get straight to work healing Neji, understood?" Tsunade demanded Sakura and I exchanged a look before saying, "Yes milady," In unison. "Yamato, I'm counting on you," Tsunade concluded. "Alright, follow me," Pakkun said as he rose to his feet and ran off down the corridor, we followed close behind him and before long we were out of the village and soaring though the trees toward the enemy. _Shikamaru, I'm coming, just hold on!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Here it is, Chapter 7! Again, sorry it took me so long to update - I literally ****_just_**** got back home from being on holiday (I had no internet access . ). As always I hope you all enjoy this chapter and pleeeease let me know what you think because I love hearing feedback :D P.S. I will post chapter 8 as soon as I can :) Promise :P**

_"Kakashi, Neji, Naruto and Shikamaru engaged the enemy, the Akatsuki member Kisame, this morning… Neji is seriously injured, and he is close to death. The others are still fighting Kisame but things aren't looking good for them,"_ Shizune's words rang in my ears reminding me of the urgency of this situation. I forced my legs to work harder, landing swiftly on each tree branch and then immediately pushing off again, Sakura and Yamato were behind me, struggling to keep up. I was breathing heavily and my forehead was coated in a thin layer of sweat. Pakkun, who was a few metres ahead of me, jumped off of a branch and onto the ground below us. I shifted my weight and landed carefully next to him, "Why are we stopping? This is urgent, there's no time for breaks," I complained as I caught my breath, Yamato and Sakura joined us in the clearing and exchanged a look, "Sakura go and get Sai," Yamato commanded, Sakura nodded and lept off into the trees to get Sai who was doing aerial surveillance. Pakkun sat down and waited patiently for Sakura to return with Sai, I tapped my foot with frustration my mind was fixated on locating Shikamaru and bringing him safely back to the leaf village, this little pit-stop was unnecessary. Yamato looked to the sky just as Sai and Sakura came clambering down from the tree tops. "What is it Pakkun?" Yamato asked once Sakura and Sai were both with us. "Were nearly there, we should rest up a bit, recover some energy and then set out again. We'll reach the enemy in a few minutes," Pakkun informed us calmly, "If we're this close shouldn't we just keep going? What if something's happened to them?" I argued. Sai, Sakura and Yamato were all looking at me, "Ino, we understand that you're worried about Shikamaru; we are too, but you're no use to him if you're tired. We'll only be resting for a minute, it'll be fine," Yamato countered sympathetically. I nodded, feeling foolish but also very impatient. The minutes dragged by and we sat in silence, recuperating. My mind keep wandering back to Shikamaru, no way was I gonna let him get hurt… I promised Choji. I forced myself to remain calm and gather my thoughts, _I have to do whatever's needed to complete the mission, and I need to keep a level head. _ "Alright," Pakkun said, rising to his feet, myself and the others stood up as well and we prepared to head off again, "You all ready?" Pakkun asked and without waiting for an answer he leapt onto a branch above our heads, Sai used his Super Beasts Scroll technique to take to the air once more and Sakura, Yamato and I followed Pakkun. I could feel my anticipation and fear building up in my chest as I flew through the trees – the feeling I always got before a fight. After about two minutes Pakkun stopped on a tree branch next to a large clearing, I could see a shark-like man with a large sword standing over Kakashi who was lying at his feet. The Akatsuki member swung his leg backwards and slammed it into Kakashi's ribs, the force was incredible and Kakashi went flying across the clearing and smashed into a large tree trunk. The Akatsuki member launched himself forward in the direction of… _Shikamaru! _Kisame swung his sword backwards and was preparing to attack, without thinking I lunged forward and shielded him, blocking the strike with a kunai. The force was too great and I was forced backwards, banging into Shikamaru. We fell to the floor and Kisame lept backwards, caught off-guard by my sudden appearance. "So, the leaf has finally sent Back-up huh? About time," The Shark-man teased in a deep husky tone. Yamato and Sai went on the attack and Sakura rushed to Neji's side to begin healing his injuries. "Ino…" Shikamaru mumbled. He looked awful, his face was covered in cuts and bruises, his vest was torn and covered in blood and he had a large cut across his thigh. My eyes started stinging, it hurt to see him like this, I threw my arms around his neck and held him tightly, "Shika…" I wept as tears began falling down my cheeks. He lifted his arm up and placed it on my back, gently pulling me closer. "I was so worried…" I whispered into his ear, barely able to get the words out. He stroked my blond hair slowly but groaned in pain, I was leaning on his thigh. I jumped back and wiped my eyes quickly, regaining my composure and getting to work on healing his injuries. My eyes scanned the clearing and I could see Sai and Yamato attempting to constrain our enemy, Naruto was at Kakashi's side, helping him to his feet, they both looked exhausted. Sakura was off to the side, her brow wrinkled in frustration as she used her vast knowledge of medical nin-jutsu to mend Neji's broken body. The fight continued, our enemy was extremely powerful and possessed a great amount of chakra, I could see why Shikamaru and the others were having a tough time taking him down, this was going to be very difficult. I could feel Shika's body relax a bit and the pained look left his face, his injuries weren't that bad and I was lucky to have healed them quickly. Shikamaru sat up slowly, rubbing his forehead, "Thanks," He said gratefully, looking over at Neji, "You should help Sakura; it looks like she needs it. I have to give Sai and Yamato all of the information that we collected about Kisame," Shikamaru added. I helped him to his feet and nodded, glad to be back by his side. I wanted to stay with him but I knew that he was right; I had to help Sakura. That was my main priority. I made sure that Shikamaru could walk on his own before sprinting across the clearing and kneeling on the opposite side of Neji's motionless body. "How does it look?" I asked concern laced in my voice, "Not good, I need your help. We can save him Ino, but I can't do it without you," Sakura replied in a strained voice. I placed my hands above Neji's chest and set to work on healing him, as soon as I started I could tell that he was in serious trouble, his chakra flow was weak and he had attained an immense amount of injuries on his body. I wasn't so sure that we could fix this…

I forced myself to focus on healing an unconscious Neji as opposed to watching the others fight our enemy but I could hear every blow making contact with someone's body, every scream of agony that passed through my friend's lips and every thud that marked the collision of a body with the ground. I watched Sakura's gentle hands hovering over Neji's chest, glowing green with her powerful chakra. A loud bang caused me to look up and I saw that Sai had been struck in the arm with Kisame's large blade. Naruto cursed obscenely at our enemy before lunging at him, Kisame struck with his sword and sliced right through Naruto's chest. I gasped and could feel Sakura's healing chakra subside as she directed her attention to Naruto; we sat staring at the enemy's blade sticking out of Naruto's back in shock. A few seconds passed before we heard a loud pop and Naruto's body vanishing into a puff of smoke, Sakura let out a sigh of relief and resumed healing Neji. Naruto's real form appeared in the air behind our enemy, his eyes were filled with rage and he swung his right arm forward reviling a large ball of swirling blue chakra, "Rasengan!" Naruto yelled as his attack struck the Akatsuki member in the shoulder. Kisame went flying forward and just missed a tree, he dug his sword into the ground which caused his body to come to an abrupt halt. He has a scowl plastered on his face and his hand flew to his badly injured shoulder. "Alright. Now you're dead nine-tails brat!" He screamed.


End file.
